My Dad-Charlie Williamson

My Dad – Charlie Williamson

St JohnCharlie by Taccoa River

Today’s my dads birthday. He is 78 years old, born 1932.

He was born on May 28th and in honor of him I was born on the 28th and Raina and Juma were born on the 28th. Raina’s boyfriend was born on the 28th and so was his mother. Juma’s college roommate was born on the 28th. Starbo’s phone number area code is 828. My address in Bonita started with 28. I could go on and on but you get the point. Now we get excited when we see the number 28 and it all started with my dad.

I hereby dedicate the number “28” to Charlie Williamson. Lucky 28.

My dad was born in Lancaster, Ohio. A little over a year ago in October, Juma, my dad, my sister and her family and I went back to see where he was born. It was Charlie’s sister Helen 90th birthday. He took us for a ride in the country to the house where he was born. We drove up to the house and a woman was outside. I got out of the car and started talking to her. I explained that my father was raised here and she invited us in. She said most of the house was left in its original state. There was this ornate fireplace and a lovely wooden staircase with a smooth wooden handrail. Visiting the place that he grew up was captivating. Something about retracing ones footprints on earth with someone that means so much to us that is so very special.

I liked watching him tell the stories. Like how he use to walk to church or how all the neighbors would slide on sleds down the hill in the snow. Once he was playing ball and knocked out his cousin by accident. He was a cheerleader in high school. It was common to have boys be cheerleaders even back then. His school wasn’t big enough to have a football team so he cheered for the basketball team.

We visited the grave where his father, mother and older brother are buried along with other relatives. We took video footage of it all. He said he hadn’t been back to the grave site for decades.

We ended the trip with the birthday party. Helen is his only immediate family still living. Of course all the rest of the family was there smiling and singing. Helen wanted us to sing her favorite songs so Denny and Kay, Helen’s son and daughter-in-law, lead the singing as we followed along with the song sheets that were handed out to all. It was really quite fun. There was a table with all the old family photos lined up and everyone got a book of the family history told by Helen and put together by Kay. It looked like a lot of work to put together but well worth the effort.

To my father:

Happy Birthday Charlie.

I love you so much that words cannot relay my feelings for you.

You have been a great dad. Really!

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Some of my Favorite memories:

Being called Peanuts,

You chasing us and then making us laugh,

You showing us how to rake the leaves (as if we couldn’t figure it out),

You telling me you did not like it when me and my boyfriend walked down the street with our arms around each other. I think I was 15,

Going fishing with you.

You showing me the best way to climb trees.

(At about 9 yrs old) When I went to you crying because mom wouldn’t let me spend the night with Tammy anymore because her mom was preaching her religion (Jahova witness) onto me. You made it so I could still spend the night with her. She was my best friend.

When I went to you crying because I felt poor (probably 7 yrs old).

All the cookies you brought home.

My post cards you always sent when you were out of town and the things like paper dolls, that you’d bring when you came back.

All the summer nights when you’d play your guitar and sing. It was so exciting to grab a jar of popcorn and shake it to the beat, or knock two spoons together.

“oh when them cotton balls get rotten you can’t pick very much cotton, in them good old cotton days back when.

When I was a little bitty baby, my momma would rock me in the cradle”

“She’ll be coming around that mountain when she comes”

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when clouds are grey.”

mushroom hunting in the woods, my very favorite when we fried them up with mustard and Wonder white bread.

Pumpkin blossoms fried, YUM!

How you saved me sunflower seeds from the harvest of my one sunflower plant I grew in our backyard. Remember it ripened when I was at Outward Bound.

Trips to your warehouse to pick out any snack I wanted from Nabisco.

You showing me how to drive a stick shift.

You driving over an hour when my Mustang broke down on the freeway.

Going to the Amish restaurant and eating all that good Amish food. Yum again.

Going with you to California to visit Terry and driving on that crazy road where it dropped straight down. I trusted your driving and you didn’t fail me, Thank the lord.

Visiting me and Bob in Key West when we lived in the van. Remember cleaning up in the morning in the drive-in bathroom after a night in the tent.

Being such a good sport when we were all suppose to go by boat to Christmas Tree Island, I sent you on a boat ahead of me because the seas were a bit rough and the boat could only take so many. I never went and you camped on the island by yourself and two half naked girls. Guess it wasn’t so hard to be a good sport, now was it.

Your excitement when a topless girl, you didn’t know, made you a sandwich on Truman beach. I think it was mayo and baloney.

Big Memory—Running Tiny Jewel together

Big Memory—You painting the blue houses.

This list and this post are just started. I am going to keep adding to this page.

Just taking the time to remember all this brings happiness to my heart.

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3 thoughts on “My Dad-Charlie Williamson”

Jeannie, and Charlie,
I hope this fines you as: You are wonderful I miss you all and life has taken us all on different roads at this point in time. Erin our son is now 15 and I still talk about my birth in Fish Bay. Just found you and wanted to say once THANKS for helping me to bring the best thing into my life. My son Jan 20 1995 Erin Ukiah Sullivan. This has brought a tear to my face.
LOVE YOU Rosette

Rosette, so nice to hear from you, glad you found us. I would love to see Erin, that cute adorable little boy must be quite the beauty now. I will never forget that day in fish bay. A great day it was.

Jeanie, I don’t know if you remember me. I’m Beth’s sister. I am going on a cruise to St. Thomas in Febuary so I thought You might have some insight into what we should see there. I enjoyed your blog. What a life you have lived, a true “seeker”.

Join me. Once you click this, go to bottom of page Find Your Mat/Find Your Breath where you can join a weekly posted audio or video focused on Find Your Mat/Find Your Breath with occasional bonus audio/video/photos. Renew every 3 months if you want to stay connected. This is free but by joining me it shows I am not alone. This will help me be able to continue creating and spreading the love. . Thank-you, much heart love appreciation. Jeanie/Doiyen

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My name is Jeanie and I go by Doiyen in many of my post. Find Your Breath/Find YOU is my website focus. Co-Living is my latest obsession. I have been and sometimes still am a drummer, life coach, midwife, childbirth educator, gardener, yoga instructor, Tiny/micro house builder, beader, owner of a children store and reggae store, mother, sister, daughter, lover and blogger. All of this does not define who I am; it just describes where I’ve been.